| BOOKS I READ IN 2020 |

I managed to finish my Goodreads reading challenge this year. Hooray! I re-read 15 books, but still, I managed to read 30 (8 are manga). Also, I found my love for manga again. 

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NEW READS

1. Again, but Better by Christine Riccio (3/5)

• There were some aspects that I enjoyed - the adventure, some of the humor, the friendships. It was enjoyable to see Shane's travels. However, I did not like Shane that much. She seemed a bit obsessive and immature. Her decisions in life are questionable. Also, I did not like the lead guy, and I honestly don't remember what his name is. They had chemistry, but I don't want them to be together.
• This had the potential to be good, but the execution was bad. There were too many problematic things that happened. The fantasy elements felt like it was there just to drag more content to the story. It felt unnecessary.
• There was too much reference to other pop culture.

2. Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire (3.8/5)

• I loved seeing Jack again. I enjoyed being in the Moors again. I love that world, even if it's too dark. 
• I don't think that they needed Christopher and the others. We just got to see Jack interact with them because they had to escape the Moors. However, they didn't necessarily do anything or anything to the story. Still, it was fun to see them reunited. 
• I love Jack and Alexis' relationship.
• It was devastating about what happened with Jack and Jill's relationship. Honestly, though, it was too much to hope that they would mend their relationship. 

3. The Bone House by Emily-Lloyd Jones (4/5)

• I enjoyed reading this book. It had a creepy vibe to it, but it was intriguing. The bone houses were creepy, but the lore behind them was interesting to read about.
• I love the bond between Ellis and her siblings.
• I love Ellis and Ryn's interactions. 
• The issue I had was that the pacing was kind of slow, and there were emotional parts that felt lacking.

4. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (4/5)

• ACTUAL POST OF MY REACTIONS WHILE READING THIS
• This was an interesting look at Snow's past. It was intriguing to read, especially since he was a decent person in the beginning. At least for me. His interactions with Lucy were very different from what we know of him. 
• The Hunger Games during this era was also very different from what we know now. It was devastating to see more of this aspect.
• I don't know if there is a sequel to this, but it had a lot of open-ended events. It kind of left you hanging. 

5. The Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab (4.25/5)

• The story was shallow and straightforward (this is expected since this is a middle-grade book), but it was enjoyable to read. There were a lot of creepy aspects to it, which made it better. I was honestly shocked that this had an emotional aspect to it. I was devastated to know about the history of the conflict in this one.
• I love that the setting involved a lot of places in Paris. It was beautiful to me, even though there were a lot of haunted places.
• I love the friendship between Cassidy and Jacob. Also, Jacob's humor is still funny. I hope we can have more background about him in the next book.

6. Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare (4.5/5)

• The story was intriguing. This focused more on the demonic aspect of the Shadowhunter world rather than the usual there's-just-someone-wanting-to-get-revenge-or-antidownworlder. However, many parts seemed just like a setup or filler. Still, I love that we have different interconnecting subparts to the story. 
• It irritated me that there were many times that they were facing a great dilemma, yet they seemed to chill about it, and they had the nerve to have a ball or picnic. This seemed wrong to me especially since the current head of the clave and London Institute are characters we know and love. It was wrong to see them not in action.
• There were a lot of new characters. It was fun reading about them, but you won't care about all of them. I loved seeing the characters from the Infernal Devices characters.
• I love the different relationships that we see with the characters. It was a complex web of interactions.
• I love Matthew Fairchild and Anna Lightwood.
• I love the relationship between Cordelia and James.
• Grace irritated me so much. I wanted to slap her hard.

FAVORITE BOOK OF 2020: Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare

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RE-READS

The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan (4/5)

• This is about an adventure story that includes Egyptian mythology. I love how the mythology part was weaved into the story. We got action, and magic all around.
• Given the age of the character, you can feel how middle grade the story was. There are times when Carter and Sadie can be a little too much. Their choices in life will sometimes make you want to slap them. I still love them, though. They were entertaining, and their bond as siblings was realistic and hilarious.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan (5/5)

• This is an adventure story incorporated with Greek Mythology. Greek Mythology is my favorite mythology. I get that their story sucks most of the time (because the gods suck), but I love it. I love seeing most of the stories I know incorporated in Percy's adventures. Their adventures were very entertaining to read, and the first series were short books so it's easier to read. This is honestly one of my favorites book series of all time.
• I love Percy and his friendship with the other characters in the book. I love him so much because of his witty remarks and his care for his friends and family.
• Annabeth's brain cells are to die for.

The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan 

(5/5 except for The Lost Hero 4/5)

• This is a continuation of Percy Jackson's adventures from the first series. There are just a lot more characters to read from since they get their own point of view. I still love this storyline, but sometimes it gets hard. Sometimes you can't see the end of the tunnel of their hardships. It was heavier than the first set of series, that's why I haven't finished all of them again. 
• The Lost Hero got a 4/5 because I don't love Jason, Piper, and Leo. I'm sorry to all their fans. I mean, I do like them, but I will forever look for Percy. Something was lacking for me when I read this first book. This was honestly the book that I forgot most of the things that happened. 
• The Son of Neptune *chef's kiss*.
• I remembered the trauma of waiting for the fourth book of this series, after that cliffhanger of an ending for the third book. People who read this nowadays are lucky that they didn't get to experience that.

Too Far Trilogy by Abbi Glines (5/5)

• I had a phase where I loved Abbi Glines' book. I decided to give it a try again after 6 or 7 years, and I can tell you that I still love Blaire and Rush's story. It wasn't anything picture-perfect in the beginning, but they grew. Unlike other characters, *coughs* Nanette. I love tea-worthy love stories, and this is one of the top-tier for me. I can understand why some people don't like it, but I really do love it. 

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MANGA I READ IN 2020 will be discussed in a separate post.

| MANGA - Akatsuki no Yona Chapter 198 |

We got to see Min-soo trying to find a cure for the Crimson Illness. Honestly, I'm not sure whether I want Soo-Won to be cured or not. I'm not totally against him, even if he's scary, but curing him would make the story much longer and complicated. We will still wonder if he'll let Yona have the throne or at least let her help him, and things like that. I don't want to think about it. I just want Soo-Won to end in peace. 

Shin-Ah is missing our Yona. I want to see them with her again!!!! Stupid Soo-Won. Also, where is Hak??

Simple lines from Yona, yet it packs a punch. I find her character development and fierceness awesome.

Yona did wait for Min-soo in the office. Damn girl, three days? 

It's hilarious to me that Ao is still in the shot. He's there to watch over Yona. Such a cutiepie.

Yona using logic against Soo-Won, and winning is one of the best scenes here. Soo-Won had nothing to say against her idea.

The Queen is here, ladies and gentlemen! Goodness. She looks regal even as just a temporary substitute for the emissaries.

Oh boi Kei-shuk how wrong you are. 

PS: I want to smack your face. You look annoying.

PPS: How is it that he still looks like he did in the flashbacks???

I honestly love this chapter. It was a short one, but we get to see Yona as the fierce person that she is. She wasn't intimidated by the emissaries. She did not take the bullshit they were sprouting, and even stated that she was there in person. She be like, "Bitch, you can't fool me." 

It made me excited for the future chapters. How would this affect her current stay at Kouka? 

| MANGA - Akatsuki no Yona Chapter 197 |

Hey! I wanted to start a new type of post where I react to the current chapter of manga or things I watch/read. Maybe it will help me get motivated to post reviews again. Comment if you think it's better if I make a video telling my thoughts rather than typing it. Follow me at rAikY gAmeRiNg on Youtube!

I started at this chapter of AnY because this is the chapter I'm currently at. I was planning to do this earlier when I started reading AnY, but I was unmotivated. Let's start now. Warning! There will be spoilers up ahead. If you haven't read this chapter, don't continue reading.

First of all, look at how precious Ao and Shin-Ah are.

I honestly forgot that Yona was reading Yonhi's diary and that's why we had a flashback of the past events.

It's devastating to know about the behind the scene events. Both Il and Yon-hi knew what would happen, yet there was no warning to Yona. Il just accepted his fate as a placeholder for the Crimson Dragon King. I'm glad that Il did find someone to stay by Yona's side. Knowing why he allowed Hak to be with her was something precious. 

I'm still confused about why Il killed Yu-Hon (my brain cells are not working properly). Is it because he thinks that Yu-Hon killed Kashi? However, we never had any confirmation that Yu-Hon did kill her. I mean, it can be implied, but it's too important a detail to not state. I think it would be revealed somewhere that someone else killed her, or she's still alive? I'm not sure. Did they see a body? We have no actual knowledge of what happened. 

The other reason he stated was that Yu-Hon should never be king which I agree with. It's just terrible that he had to kill his brother for that. I think Yu-Hon would end up being a tyrant if he became the king, so it's better for Kouka. 

I'm honestly torn now. Before, I wasn't so against Soo-Won, but knowing that he's been planning this since he was young, I don't know. That's messed up. The murder was already on his mind at a young age. It's devastating that even his mother is scared of him, but in all honesty, who wouldn't be? Were all his actions towards Yona just an act? I'm so confused now.

On a side note, I'm happy that the flashback part is already finished! We get to see Yona and the gang again!

| UPDATE - What's Been Consuming My Time? |

Classes have started yet the thing that's been consuming my time is a game called, "Genshin Impact". I'm enjoying my time wishing for luck in the gatcha, and doing my best in the quests in the game. 

I have also created a youtube channel - Raiky Gamering. Please watch and subscribe. Thanks!

Here are some links to the videos that are available:

I don't know if somebody supports this blog, but I'll do my best to finish my backlog reviews. However, I can't promise anything seeing as the classes are ongoing, and Genshin's been consuming my time. Wish me luck!

| MOVIE - Fantasy Island |

SYNOPSIS: A group of people gets invited to an island where they can make their fantasies come true.

GENRE: Suspense, Fantasy

RATING: 5/10

The premise was very intriguing. An island where your fantasies come true? Sign me up! However, we all know that things rarely work out, so you know things would get fucked up at some point. I enjoyed seeing the execution of the different fantasies that the characters had. Melanie's was so intense, though. When things started going downhill, the enactment of the scenes was well enough for you to feel the suspense. There were also some heartbreaking moments with regards to the fantasy. However, the reason why this was a let-down was the main twist. For all the things that they had to endure on that island, it felt shallow. I wish that was never introduced. 

SHOULD YOU WATCH IT: Probably not.

WOULD I WATCH IT AGAIN: Once was enough.

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WARNING: SPOILERS!

• It was funny to see Michael Peña in a serious role, especially since we're most familiar with him in his antics in Antman.
• It's heartbreaking that the reason why Mr. Roarke takes care of the island is to see his wife alive, even if she doesn't remember him after getting resurrected.
• JD and Brax's fantasy is honestly the most relatable one. To be rich.
• The twist with Patrick's fantasy was heartbreaking. He got to see his father again.
• I find it weird that Gwen didn't realize her correct fantasy immediately. If it was really bugging her that much, she should have thought of that first. It was heartbreaking that even in the fantasy world, she didn't pick Allen. Her poor daughter.
• The way Melanie's fantasy played out was so sadistic. Even if Sloane was a bully, she didn't deserve that torture. I honestly found myself rooting for Sloane in the end. I'm glad that she got to pay Melanie back.
• Dr. Torture was a scary character. He kept coming back!
• It was heartbreaking that Brax chose to stay so that his brother can live his life. That was a noble gesture. It was funny that his tattoo is literally the word tattoo.
• I don't get the point of having Damon here. He was just killed immediately. Maybe he's just there to guide them, but what a waste of a character.
• It felt kind of forced that everyone who was invited on the island had a connection in real life. I would have preferred it if the actual revenge fantasy was because of Nick's parents. There was no point in enacting revenge on the other group members in the team except probably on Gwen because they didn't know that the fire would happen. Melanie felt like such a SIMP. There wasn't any assurance that would get to be with Nick even if he survived the fire, yet she got angry at everyone with a weak connection to Nick's death.

| MOVIE - Bad Boys for Life |

SYNOPSIS: Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett become entangled in a case that's connected to Marcus' past.

GENRE: Action, Comedy

RATING: 5.8/10

It was still entertaining to watch. The actions were okay, but it wasn't like what it was before. It lacked the feeling that the original Bad Boys movie had. The story didn't feel original, and it felt like they just forced that storyline to get another sequel. I didn't care about the bad guys, and the sudden changes in their personality didn't help anything. The only highlight of this was that we get to see Marcus and Mike together again. The humor was still there. However, the other addition to the cast kind of annoyed me. I don't think they were necessary. 

SHOULD YOU WATCH IT: Just for the laughs.

WOULD I WATCH IT AGAIN: Once was enough.

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WARNING: SPOILERS!

• I hated that they killed Captain Howard. There wasn't any real reason behind that except to motivate Marcus. He didn't even need that. He was plenty motivated on his own. Sure, there was a bad guy, and he liked killing people, but it didn't feel justified. 

• The twist where the bad guy was Mike's son wasn't surprising. It's a predictable thing that has been used too much as a twist. Also, it seemed out character for the bad guy to just suddenly decide to protect Marcus. He should have been in more shock or something. 

• Isabel was one psycho character. She only used her son to get revenge. 

• I got annoyed that Charles Melton is here. I still can't over the fact that he replaced Ross Butler as Reggie in Riverdale. 

| MOVIE - Contagion |

SYNOPSIS: A virus began spreading, and the doctors are trying to find a vaccine. Chaos started to ensue because of the pandemic. 

GENRE: Disaster, Action, Science Fiction

RATING: 5.3/10

We decided to watch this because it kept being suggested as one of the top disaster movies. I appreciated that it had a more realistic approach to how a virus would work, and how a cure would be developed, but honestly, I was quite bored. It looked more like a documentary rather than a movie, and it wasn't that good. Most of the scenes that were shown and the characters didn't have a connection to each other. It seemed like they had their own world. I think four subparts were shown, and they switched at random. Sometimes you'll be confused as to which subpart you are. You won't feel any attachment to anyone, so why even stick around? I don't get the point of having lead characters that don't have any effect on the plot. We only need the doctor, and possibly the first carrier. Sometimes it seems that they want to fight for something during the scenes, but it doesn't seem like that's the focus, so you'll just brush it aside. Also, you are supposed to fear what they are experiencing, yet it doesn't feel that way.

SHOULD YOU WATCH IT: No, I think there are better documentaries than this.

WOULD I WATCH IT AGAIN: Never again.

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WARNING: SPOILERS!

• I get that Matt Damon was a carrier, yet he was immune, but after that, why even show him? We even got to see him take care of his daughter, but who cares?
• Kate Winslet was also a weird addition to the cast. It seemed like we should be devastated that she would die, yet I didn't even care about her. 
• I applaud the doctor that tested her own cure to herself to check if it would work. She made the process a whole faster. Although that technique is probably not allowed in real life. She was the only one worth watching in the entire movie.
• I don't get the point of having Laurence Fishburne's character.
• Only at the end do we find out why Gwyneth Paltrow was shown in the beginning. That was interesting to see, especially since we saw the process of how she came in contact with the infected specimen. Also, that was disgusting. 
• Orantes' substory was confusing. I understand that it's to show how unfair the first world countries are to the ones third world countries, but it was just like something that was mentioned. Not focused on.
• Jude Law's character was annoying. He deceived people at the cost of their lives, and I hated that. There are people like that in our society, especially since we are experiencing the same situation right now, and I hate them.